Andy Karl Will Lead New Groundhog Day Musical

Life has a funny way of its repeating itself. Sometimes, too literally. What if you woke up one day and there was no tomorrow? What if you kept waking up in the same day over and over again? Thats the struggle for one news reporter in a hilarious film now headed for a new life on the stage in 2016. Today, Luner on Theatre brings you the exciting news that Tony Award nominee Andy Karl will lead the new Broadway-bound Groundhog Day musical!

The Daily Mail broke the news that Broadway’s Andy Karl (Pictured Right) has been cast in the lead role of the new Groundhog Day musical slated to premiere in the U.K. later this year before heading to Broadway in 2017. The production has confirmed the casting news. Karl will star as the television journalist, portrayed by Bill Murray in the 1993 film, who is set to cover the Groundhog Day festivities in Punxatawney, Pennsylvania. However, he is forced the live the day over and over again until learns the errors in his ways and makes the day “right”. Andy Karl is a two-time Tony Award nominee and was most recently seen on Broadway last season in Roundabout’s On The Twentieth Century, for which he received a Tony Award nomination. Previously, he has been seen on Broadway in Legally Blonde, Saturday Night Fever, Wicked, The Wedding Singer, Jersey Boys, 9 to 5 and Rocky, in which he played the title role and received his first Tony nomination. The Daily Mail noted that Karl scored the role after audition “on both sides of the Atlantic” for the production.

Goundhog’s Day is being developed by Tony Award nominee and Olivier Award winner Tim Minchin (Pictured Left). Minchin is best known for his work penning the music and lyrics to Matilda the Musical. The musical will have a book by Danny Rubin, the original screen writer for the movie. It set to premiere at the Old Vic later this year in July but no exact dates of the London premiere have been announced yet. The musical is slated to arrived on Broadway in the spring 2017 season with an opening night on March 9th, 2017 according to previous announcements. A theatre for the Broadway bow has not been confirmed yet. Matthew Warchus, who is the artistic director at The Old Vic, will direct the production in both London and New York with Peter Darling on board as choreographer. The production will have a scenic and costume design by Rob Howell.

Andy Karl tweeted out a “Thank You” to all those congratulating him on his new upcoming gig.

Producers Scott Rudin and Sonia Friedman have created a fund for commissioning new musicals at The Old Vic in London over the next five years. Working together, the team has created a partnership that will allow these new musicals to then go on to large lives in London’s West End, Broadway in New York or other venues in both the U.K. and United States. Groundhog Day is the first of such kind and only the beginning of what will produce many more new musicals for the stage in coming years.

Luner Lowdown: The new Groundhog Day musical will finally come to the stage this year after being announced years ago, just months after the success of Matilda rocked both the West End and Broadway. I am excited to see what the team who brought Matilda, led byWarchus(Pictured Right), brings to the stage this time with the new musical based on this classic film from over two decades ago. The movie is one of my favorites, with a great message at heart, leaving its main character examining his actions down to the smallest decisions until his makes the day “right” and ends up a better person overall in the end. It’s a story that brings the human narrative into perspective, showing us that we’re all too often caught up in just the big picture and are missing the smaller things, which may in fact be the bigger ones in the end. It provides consist humor throughout and I can’t wait to see how it translates to a stage production.

Luner on Theatre will keep you updated on the progress of the new Groundhog Day musical set to premiere in London later this year! We’ll covering the production, on both sides of the pond, as it debuts for the first time and eventually makes its way to Broadway. An official website and social media for the Groundhog Day musical has not been created yet. Luner on Theatre will update this article and you as soon as it has been! (Please note; Unless a photo is noted to be taken by Luner on Theatre, we do not own/claim ownership for any photos used in this post.) And of course, check out the rest of Luner on Theatre for all your theatre news you don’t only need but want to know and so much more!

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Luner on Theatre was a blog created for the sole purpose of being a forum for theatre discussion on the Internet and social networking sites. Luner on Theatre is not only a theatre news-reporting site source, but is also a site that works to publish topics that will spark discussion among those working in the theatre industry and the fans that support it.